Certain processes utilize the application of scanned UV (ultraviolet) light onto a subject. Among such processes is stereolithography, also known as 3D printing and other terms, which refers to an additive manufacturing technology using photopolymerization, a process by which light causes chains of molecules to link together and form polymers.
Processes such as stereolithography are used for a growing number of purposes, including the creation of models, prototypes, patterns, and apparatus components in a layer by layer process, allowing the quick and accurate generation of objects with shapes that are difficult to produce using traditional prototyping methods.
However, a scanning operation is limited by the light source and optical system used in the relevant process. Conventional light sources include a laser or LED (light emitting diode) source that are blue/violet in color or emit in the near-UV wavelength range. Such light sources have limitations in characteristics such as available resolution, optical power, and wavelength, which thus constrain the practical throughput for the required process. Further, resolution is often limited by the optical system, such as a DLP (Digital Light Processing) with LED (Light Emitting Diode) having a certain pixel size, wherein the pixel size thus provides a particular minimum feature size.